Trailer coupling



June 30, 1931. D. G. HOTTMANN 1,812,240

TRAILER COUPLING Filed July 8, 1930 flamaoi izwh A ltomey lnvenlor Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE DAVID G. EOTTMANN', OI TOLS'IOY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

TRAILER a pncamnquea m a,

This invention relates nerally to com plings for wagons and trallers for hitching said wagons or trailers to an automobile, to

be drawn thereb and particularly to cou-' '5' pling means of t e spring, or shock-absorbing, non-jar type.

It is the object of this invention to pro-.

ing a heavy load on the trailer or wagon and subjecting the gears of the automobile to unusual and dangerous and destructive strain. These and other objects are attained by a combination of, and arrangement of, parts,

I thenature and combination which will be #Kbetter understood'from a reading of the accompanying description, and the drawings,

m which:

- of my invention. Figure 2 is a top view thereof.

.Figure 3 is a cross section taken in the plane indicated by the line 4. -4 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the wear plates hereinafter explicitly referred to. It is to be understood that I do not. wish to limit the application of this invention to theparticular embodiment set out herein, but any changes may be made in the material and construction within the spirit and scope of the invention. y

Referring in detail to the drawings, the embodiment shown consists of a 'bar 15a of semi-circular form in cross section having a round side and a flat side, and a reduced portion 15b and another reduced portion on the opposite end 150. Another semi-circular bar 16a having a reduced portion. 16b and another'reduced portion 160 at the opposite end thereof. These bars 15a and 160 may longitudinally. v

The bars are disposed with their flat faces in contact and exteriorly of the cylindrical core thus produced is a spring 17 of compressible type and of sufiicient tens1on for Figure 1 is a side view of a preferred form be formed from a single bar cut in half coon-mo 1930. Serial No. 466,549.

the conditions under which'it is to operate. The reduced portions 151), 150 and 16b and 160 are formed squared at their edges to receive and have bolted thereto bars'15 and 16 as shown in the drawings. 6i

Buffer plates 19 co-act with washers18 to evenly. compress the spring 17 when a load isput upon both ends of the coupling. Thebar 15 is formed at one end to provide a space between said bar and a member 150 to accom- 6.0 modate and bolt therein the shaft of the trailer.-. A member 160 has fixedly. connected thereto an extension of the bar 16 which is formed and bent outward from the part 160 and to provide the feature for attaching to the automobile. Said members 150 and 160 are shouldered, Figure 1, to abut against outer edges of plates 19 next to the members. It will also be understood that the opposed members 19 serve as wear-plates.

' extensions are positioned to retain the spring 17 by means of the washers 18 and the plates 19 which are of the formation illustrated in Figure 4, one of these plates-being bolted to 150 and another in coinciding relation at 160 and one end of the device in contact with the washer 18, and another plate is bolted to 150 and another to 160 in coinciding relation, bearing against the washer 18 at the other en The operation of the device will be understood from the foregoing explanation of the drawings and it will be clear that I have provided an inexpensive device-of the character described, which has a very satisfactory operation and providing as, it does a double acting coupling of the spring type, said double acting coupling being obtained and by the use of only one spring.

It will be observed that the action of this coupling is such as to permit starting and stopping while drawing heavy loads without transferring the destructive and damaging shock to either vehicle such as must take place without the use of a similar device.

It will be observed that the even distribution of the pressure to the spring produces a smooth acting device admirably suited for the purpose for which it was designed, and satisfactory to use, maintain and repair, easy and simple of installation and comparatively cheap to manufacture.

I claim:

A coupling device comprising bars of semicircular form in cross section arranged with their flat sides in opposed relation and having fiat end portions, the flat end portion of one bar being adjacent one end of the device, and the fiat end portion of the other bar being adjacent the opposite end of the device, a spring coiled about the semi-circular portion of the bars, washers surrounding the bars and opposed to the ends of the spring, wear plates arranged in endwise relation to the washers and disposed at the inner sides of the end portions of the said bars, the plates immediately adjacent the end portions of the bar being connected to said end portions, shouldered members abutting against and connected to the plates remote from the end portions of the bars, a longitudinal strap arranged opposite the convolutions of the spring and having one end portion connected to the end portion of one bar and also having another end portion connected with one of said members and adapted to cooperate therewith in connecting the device to the shaft of a trailer, and another strap arranged opposite the convolutions of the spring and having an end portion connected with the end portion of the other bar and also having another end portion connected with the other member and adapted to cooperate therewith in connecting the device to a motor vehicle; the said longitudinal strap also having shoulders opposed to the outer sides of said washer.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DAVID G. HOTTMAN N. 

